Disney Buys Lucasfilm, Hulu at Decision Point: Consumer Biz Wrap

Shares of CarMax Group (NYSE:KMX) were maintained at Buy at Goldman Sachs on Friday, and their price target was raised from $42 to $42 to $44.00. Analyst Matthew J. Fassler remarked that, “The firm operates a differentiated concept that is executing more effectively, and looks further poised to benefit from an improving backdrop for its core late model used car category. We see this dynamic providing distinctive support against a tougher retail sector in 2013.”

DIRECTV (NASDAQ:DTV) introduces Starz Play Streaming Services, which will permit its customers who subscribe to Starz or Encore to view the channels’ programming on-demand through the Starz Play and Encore Play platforms. At first it will work only for computers and Apple devices connected to Wi-Fi or broadband. It is unknown when or whether DIRECTV customers will be able to access Movieplex Play, which is a service that the firm included in the agreement with AT&T’s (NYSE:T) U-verse.

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is granted approval by the European Commission to purchase George Lucas’s Lucasfilm, in a cash and stock transaction of $4.05 billion, which unites two of Hollywood’s most lucrative film franchises. The Commission said that overlaps were “very limited” for the firm’s activities in gaming software, home entertainment, film production and distribution, and licensing for both broadcast rights and merchandise.

Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA), News Corporation, and The Walt Disney Company, as owners of Hulu, have been requested by the Jason Kilar, chief executive of the latter, for around $200 million to pay for more program purchases and an international expansion, say inside sources. Amazon.com. and Netflix are struggling for dominance in online video, while owners of the much smaller Hulu, are under pressure to decide which direction to take.